ACC upstart lands former Clemson football player in transfer portal

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A former Clemson football player is headed to a fellow ACC team.

Linebacker Jamal Anderson, who entered the transfer portal on Dec. 11, has committed to the SMU Mustangs. The news was first reported by On3’s Hayes Fawcett.

Anderson saw action early in the season for Clemson in 2025, appearing in the Tigers’ first four games before opting to use his redshirt. He had five tackles (three solo), with three coming in Clemson’s 17-10 season-opening loss to LSU at Memorial Stadium. Anderson started one game and had one tackle for loss, also against LSU.

In parts of three seasons at Clemson, Anderson appeared in 31 games and had 16 tackles (six solo) with one sack, three tackles for loss and a blocked punt. He is the son of former Atlanta Falcons running back Jamal Anderson and committed to Clemson in June 2022 out of Mill Creek High School in Georgia.

Anderson was rated a four-star recruit in the 2023 recruiting class and was ranked the nation’s 19th best linebacker by 247Sports.

He’ll look to make an impact with an SMU program that has experienced something of a rebirth. Since joining the ACC ahead of the 2024 season, the Mustangs posted an 11-win season that saw them reach the College Football Playoff in 2024. SMU finished 9-4 this past season and defeated Arizona, 24-19, in the Holiday Bowl on Jan. 2.

The Mustangs defeated Clemson, 35-24, on Nov. 18 at Memorial Stadium, one year after the Tigers pulled off a thrilling 34-31 win over SMU in the 2024 ACC Championship Game in Charlotte.

Anderson isn’t the first player from Clemson’s 2025 roster to commit to an ACC rival. Offensive lineman Rowan Byrne, who spent his redshirt season with Clemson in 2025 before entering the transfer portal, committed to Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday.

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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson football player commits to ACC upstart in transfer portal

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